A Better Future?
by 5A7AH
Summary: SEQUEL TO REPUTATION TO UPHOLD! new arrival in CID turns Alex’s world upside down. Gene isnt needed, can he cope as another man steps in his shoes? Alex has to choose between the man she loved, and the man that’s standing in the way of loving him again.
1. Good Morning Girl

Incase you hadn't guessed, this is a sequel to A Reputation to Uphold. If you haven't read that, then you wont understand much of this.

And thanks for the Beta duties of _Ashgurl2897_

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ashes to Ashes. All the rights belong to Kudos, the BBC etc etc. Just not me :(**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 1.

It was Monday morning and the sun was fighting its way through the clouds, eagerly spreading its rays through the dark streets of London, while Alex Drake lay in bed with a man she could call her own. He lay there, propped up on his elbow, just looking at the beauty before his eyes as he listened to the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. Out of all the men in the world, he couldn't believe that she had chosen him. She could have had any man she wanted, but instead, she chose to spend her life with him. A fact he was truly grateful for and planned to prove it by making her happy with every beat of his heart.

The true beauty of it all was that Alex was also blissfully happy. She had both Gene and Molly under one roof, in the same decade. Gene had suggested that they moved to his place, and she and Molly had accepted, much to his delight. He didn't know how much more of the sofa bed he could take. So, as Monday began, they lay there, surrounded by boxes in her living room, ready for the big move. Alex moving in with him meant more than just convenience; it was reassurance that she was there to stay. There would be no more talk of her leaving, of her missing her daughter, or of having to say goodbye. She was here to stay, and she was all his. Every last inch.

--

It was eight o'clock in the morning. Gene knew he would have to wake her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It seemed such a waste to wake her peaceful form. Alex lay there, facing him as the whispers of breath tickled the little hairs on his chest. He reached across, stroking her jaw line with his forefinger and she started to stir. He pulled away as if burned. She turned over, allowing the rays of the winter sunshine to surround her figure with a warm glow. God, she was beautiful, but she was clearly demented to go for a man that his best friend once described as an 'overweight, over-the-hill, nicotine-stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding'. But she did, and she loved him for it.

Lost in his reverie, Gene hadn't noticed that Alex had woken and was looking directly at him. He could quite happily get lost in those hazel orbs and stay there all day if they didn't need to go to work or take Molly to school.

"Morning," she said lazily, snuggling in closer.

"Mornin', Bolly," he said, kissing her on her forehead.

"Do you think you could stop talking now?" Alex asked.

Gene didn't have to be asked twice. He shut up immediately, leaned back against the bed sheets and pulled Alex onto his chest so he could kiss her.

The sagginess at the centre of the sofa bed had rolled Alex and Gene in very close together. Because it was warm in the sitting room, they'd gone to bed with very little on, so their very nearly naked bodies were brushing roughly against each other.

"London is a very sexy place," Alex said, feeling her way around Gene with her fingertips.

"Yes…I had noticed that," he replied, sliding the slim strap of her camisole slowly down her shoulder. With his lips against her earlobe, he added, "But you know what's even better?" He said wiggling his eyebrows in the process.

She ran her fingernail around his belly button and lower into the tangle of hair below, then her lips found his damp, minty mouth and she kissed him luxuriously.

"Perhaps, you'd like to show me," Alex said, halfway through their kiss.

Just as Gene prepared to demonstrate, they could hear Molly pottering around in her room, a sound which tore them apart. The moment had passed. Molly emerged under a minute later complaining that she would be late, frantically trying to find her school things.

"What you looking for, Molls?" Alex asked.

"My bus pass. Have you seen it?" Molly asked, lifting boxes and opening cupboards.

"Gene will be your driver today, Molly. Wont you, Gene?" she asked, tugging at his boxers. All of a sudden, Gene was incapable of words and merely nodded. She really did wear the trousers in their relationship.

"Ok, Molly. Give me twenty minutes and I'll drive you," he said, adjusting himself as he walked to the bathroom.

"Twenty minutes? We'll be late!" she exclaimed. She clearly had never been passenger with Gene Hunt in his Quattro.

"Late? Not on my watch, Molly. Trust the Gene Genie," he said, noticing the look of worry across her face.

--

"Wow! Five minutes flat. Never seen anyone drive like that," Molly exclaimed as the car stopped outside St Mary's.

"Just don't tell your mother, Molly. She'll kill me," he warned, hoping she wouldn't rat him out. Instead of answering, she got out of the car and winked through the window before running to the gates to meet her new friends. She had only been at the school for three weeks and she had already made a group of friends. She was just like her mother. Molly may have arrived at school on time, but Gene Hunt was late. Starting his car up again, he pushed the pedal to the floor and raced towards the station.

--

"Ok, lads, daddy's back. Off to work you go," he said, standing at the entrance to the squad room as he walked towards his office, making sure he let his fingers trail past Alex's arm as he passed, and causing her to blush furiously. Even though they had been dating for several weeks, Gene still had the ability to make her go weak at the knees and act like a teenager. She thought those feelings wouldn't be as strong now they were finally together. Thinking that all the flirting would stop because the goal had been reached, how wrong she was.

Just as Gene reached his chair, Alex was standing in his doorway, leaning on the doorjamb.

"Thought you might want filling in, Guv?" she asked and was greeted with a raised eyebrow and that playful look in his eyes. "On the new case," she added for clarity. These days, Gene was finding double meanings in most of what came out of Alex's mouth.

"Go right ahead," he said, still clinging to the thoughts surrounding Alex.

"Ok, well it's Evan White," she started, knowing his name made Gene cringe. "Since Bonfire Night, we have been trying to link Evan to my kidnapping, as you know. Because we haven't got any evidence, we couldn't get a warrant, so I have had an idea." She paused, waiting for Gene's reaction. "Now instead of kicking his door down," she said, directing her last remark at Gene, "we have invited him to help out with the investigation on trying to find Arthur Layton," she said, causing Gene's face to distort. "Now he doesn't know that we know about his involvement, so he thinks that we are asking a favour and it wont look suspicious. And being the man he thinks he is, he has accepted. So, all the time we are asking for 'help' there will be officers searching his flat. So, as long as we put everything back how it was, he will never know." She finished, looking at Gene for some kind of reassurance, hoping for the go ahead.

"Sounds like a plan, Bolls. But what do we do about Alex Price?" Alex had forgotten all about that. She couldn't be dragged into this mess.

"Well, she will come with Evan. Chris and Shaz can look after her till we are finished."

"I hope you're not planning on turning my station into a crèche, Drake?" He warned.

"No, don't worry about that. Chris could do with the training really," she said, knowing that Shaz was pregnant. She could remember the look on Chris' face when he first found out; it was full of delight shortly followed by worry as he passed out in the middle of Luigi's. Yes, Chris defiantly needed help.

"So, if Chris and Shaz are looking after Alex, who is interviewing Evan?" he asked, quite happy for her to take control for now.

"You are. Ray and me are going to search his house."

"Ok, fine, go ahead. I'm sure Chris will be thrilled. He needs all the practice he can get." With his last remark, Alex left his office and went to tell Chris the news.

--

"So, Chris, I've got a favour to ask," she paused, hoping he wouldn't mind. In all seriousness, she was doing him the favour. With a swift nod of the head, she began, "When we bring Evan in, can you look after Alex Price?" she asked, noticing Chris' face lose all colour. "With the help of Shaz, of course. Me and Ray will search his flat, so it's all down to you Chris," she added.

"Whadabout Lewis and Poirot?" he said, turning around in their direction to find them asleep at their desks.

"Come on, Chris, it'll be good for you. It won't be long till you have a one of your own. You've got to start somewhere," she pleaded, hoping to convince him. Just as he was about to object, Shaz shot a smile at him across the room, and his mind was made up. He'd do anything to please Shaz.

"And are you ok to come with me, Ray? To Evan's house?" she asked.

"Yeah, fine. I wouldn't mind a mooch round 'is 'ouse anyway," he said, putting his head back into his dirty magazine, badly disguised by a newspaper. "But, I'm driving. And in my car," he said, remembering the last time he was passenger with DI Drake. He had ended up with a bloodied nose as she ran over Angus Ashton's car with a pink tank while they ran away from the Gay Rights Protest. He definitely didn't want to repeat that experience anytime soon.

"Don't worry, Chris, kids are alright," Gene said, completely missing the strange looks he received from Ray. "Gotta start somewhere," he said, heading to the kitchenette. Ray was completely shocked. He just figured that he had to put up with Alex's kid if he wanted to be anywhere near her, let alone sleep with her. Never for one second did he think Gene enjoyed Molly's company. To add to Ray's confusion, Gene asked if he wanted a cup of tea. _The Guv making tea!_ He couldn't get his head around that one. Tea duties were always plonk jobs, even Chris on some occasions, but the Guv making and offering it was completely out of character. He even watched DI Drake leave the room like a lovesick puppy. His team was grateful that their Governor was happy. Alex was an end to his bad moods, but he wasn't as intimidating as he once was. _Maybe he was going soft._

"Ray? Give me that magazine when yer done. And get yer feet off the desk,"Gene said, pushing Ray's feet to the floor. "Now if you lot need me, I'll be knocking ten bells outta the bloke in the interview room," he added, and stormed back out again. _Maybe not._

* * *

**Ok. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's the first of many. I hope to write up until the second series, but my updates will be slower from now on, but no longer than 10 days. Thanks for staying with me, and don't forget to review!**


	2. Spontaneity

**Enjoy! And big thanks to AshGurl2897 for her beta duties! You're a star!**

* * *

**Chapter 2.**

The following day, everything seemed just as it should be until Ray Carling entered the building. It wasn't the man himself that was strange. It was his clothing. Instead of the leather jacket and tight t-shirt and jeans, he was stood in a dark suit without his t-bar moustache. He sat at his desk, trying to blend in, but then Gene arrived.

"Who's the lucky lady, Raymondo?" Gene asked the question that had been on everybody's lips from the minute he entered.

"Huh? No one, Guv," he said, blatantly lying.

"Well, I am afraid Chris and me are taken Raymondo. Don't worry, I am sure there are plenty of fudge packers out there," he said, laughing his way to his office.

"Ok, fine. It's Nina," he said, refusing to be the centre of every homosexual joke, "Nina Acabowa?" he said, hoping for some kind of reaction.

"Ah, yeah, I remember her. Didn't think you were still seein' 'er" Chris said, interested in the new discovery.

"I wasn't. But I bumped into 'er yesterday, and she asked me out fer a drink," he said, stuttering and fidgeting in his chair.

"She asked you?" Gene said, stopping in his tracks.

"Don't sound too surprised will yer. I just figured that she wasn't interested, but there she was, asking me out," he finished, his face flushed.

"So, where are you two lovebirds going?" Shaz piped up from behind her typewriter.

"What so I can bump into you two? Don't think so," Ray said, shuddering at the thought of bumping into Chris and Shaz on a date.

"You nervous, Ray?" Chris asked, noticing Ray clam up.

"Nah, not really. Well a bit. Not much," he said, unconvincingly as Gene walked his way.

"Let me guess, Raymondo," Gene paused, leaning over Ray's desk, "You don't know how to act 'cus she's different to all the other birds. Means more t'yer?" he asked, looking his sergeant in the eye.

"'Ow d'you know that?" Ray asked, surprised on how transparent he had become. Gene shot him an all-knowing raised eyebrow that explained everything. Gene had been in this exact situation with Alex. "You gunna 'elp me out Guv?" Ray asked, hoping for the best.

"She may be different, Ray, but she is still a women. They are different in thousands of ways, but there is one thing a lot of them cannot resist - with the exception of me of course," he paused, hoping he was listening, "and as stupid and fairy-like that this sounds, it's spontaneity. You give 'em summit nice that they're not expectin' and they will be eatin' out your hand."

Just as he was about to continue his lecture, he spotted Alex Drake walking down the corridor towards the squad room. Leaning closer to his sergeant's desk so only he and Chris could hear him, he said, "Watch this."

Just as the two tall wooden doors swung open, Gene stood several feet in front of his DI, raised an offered hand, which she took. As their hands connected, he pulled her towards him as if they were dancing, as she twirled into his embrace. At this point, all jaws had dropped. Then Gene bent forwards, guiding Alex's upper body towards the floor while his hands supported her back and kissed her passionately in full view of CID. He then gave a wink at Ray, and stood Alex up properly and retreated to his office as if nothing had happened, leaving Alex lost for words.

Alex could not understand what had just happened, completely and utterly speechless, shaking her head like it was some sort of dream. Bringing her back to reality was the sound of applause from everyone in the station when she felt herself blush.

"And that, DS Carling, is how it's done," he said, before finally closing the door. _Not bad for a Tuesday morning_, Ray couldn't help thinking, finally looking forward to his date. If the Guv could do it, then so could he.

"What's wrong ma'am? You look all flushed," Ray said, smirking.

"Nothing, Ray. Nothing at all."

"If you say so," he said, getting on with his work.

"Did you know that was going to happen?" Alex asked, unsure of what had come over Gene.

"Oh, yeah. The Guv was just demonstrating," Ray said, not wanting to talk about it.

"Demonstrating what, Ray?" Alex was intrigued, much to Ray's distaste.

"I didn't know how to act around Nina, so the Guv told me to be sponatained."

"Spontaneous, Ray," she said, correcting him, "Well, he's right."

"Yeah, that. And if I did it right, then she would be eatin' out of me 'and," he added.

"Did he now? Hmm, we'll see about that," she said, as her mind conjured up ways to get him back.

"Well, it works both ways, Ray. I know you don't want to hear it, but us 'birds' know what men are going to say before they open their mouths. And we know exactly how they're going to act. So, if men can surprise us, their chances are higher."

"So, you know how the Guv is going to react before he does anything?" Ray was intrigued.

"Well, not all men, Ray. That man surprises me almost all of the time, that's one of the reasons I am with him. But, I can usually guess his reactions."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" he said, not believing for one second that she could control the Guv.

"Well, ok. Try and think of something that you think the Guv would never consider. Then I will make it happen." She said, so confident.

"Okay, fine. The Guv would never let you drive his Quattro. So, I bet that if you ask him, he will shut you down instantly." He said, not believing she could drive it for a second.

"What's it worth?" she asked.

"I'll do tea duty all week," he said. With an offer like this, you could tell he was confident.

"Well, its two sugars in mine, Ray. Watch and learn," she said, flickering her hair back and walking towards his office. She stood there, in her jean clad legs with her trademark leather jacket and placed a gentle knock on his office door.

"WHAT!" he yelled, clearly this was a bad time, but Alex wasn't fazed. The second he opened the door to see Alex stood before him, his face softened. _So far, so good._

"Hey, what can I do for you?" he said, that playful look in his eye emerging.

"I was wondering if we could have a chat?" she said, hoping this would work. Alex hated to be proven wrong.

"Sure, my pleasure," he said, gesturing into his office. But she knew fine well that he was going to close the door the moment she stepped in, and she wanted Ray to witness this. Gene didn't think they were going to do much talking. So, as Alex gestured for him to sit down, she stood in his doorway and began her plea for all to see.

"Gene?" she paused, tilting her head to the side as she wrapped once of her ringlets around her finger, "I was wondering," she said, watching him get excited, but with the door wide open, his chances were slim. _I wish she wouldn't look at me like that. She's up to something_, was the thoughts rushing through Gene's head. "Well, I was wondering if I could borrow you're car?" she said, leaning over the desk so he could catch a glimpse of the creamy flesh beneath her clothes as she looked directly into his eyes.

"Well, I don't know about that, Bolls. I mean, last time you drove it, you smashed the lights on it. And the time before that, you filled it with fish guts and meat from the bins." He had a point she had to admit, and Ray was so confident. She could see he was tempted, and so she upped her game. She brought her mouth as close as possible to his ear, and tried again.

"Are you sure?" she said, as seductive as possible as her lips grazed his earlobe. "I promise not to scratch it," she said, convinced he was going to reconsider.

"Well, I I I don't thi-" he said, stuttering as he tried to calm his growing erection.

"I'll clean it up real nice?" she said, raising an eyebrow, looking at him.

Catching the smile spreading across his face, she snatched the keys from his desk without him even realising. Just as he leant forward to kiss her once more, she pulled away and walked out of his office, keys in hand. "Thanks," she said, looking over her shoulder as the closed the door behind her.

As she sat down, she chanced a look at Ray, who was gobsmacked for the second time today. Pleased with her actions, she buried her head in the files surrounding Evan White. Before she had chance to read the first line, Gene Hunt emerged from his private sanctum.

"Oi! Bolls" he said, walking over to her desk. She knew what he was about to say, and she knew how to deal with it. "About my car," he paused, reaching her desk. The second he looked at her, he wished he hadn't. She was leaning forward - another treat, her eyes wide and pleading, looking right into his with a pet lip and a tiny pout among her other dazzling features. "Just give it back once you're done," he said, defeated as he walked back over to his little world. He hated that she could do that to him.

"Ray?" Shaz said, trying to wipe the shocked look from his face, "Any chance of a cuppa?" only to replace it with a menacing stare as she sat giggling.

"While you're there, Ray," Chris called as Ray dragged his feet to the kitchenette, "I could do with one too. I'm parched," he said, bursting into laughter, "And don't forget the wafers."

**You will have an update by the end of the week! And don't forget to review.**

* * *


	3. Inspection and Small Talk

**Really sorry for the long wait. I have been really busy and it's not the most exciting chapter, but it does get better. I promise to add more Galex in future chapters. Especially the next one.**

**And thanks once more to my trusty Beta** _**AshGurl2897.**_

* * *

**Chapter 3.**

After several tormenting hours of tea duty for Ray and seventeen refills later, Evan White arrived, a little girl in toe. Just as Ray sat himself down, the little girl emerged by his side, her eyes wide as she looked upon the pink wafer in his hand. Giving a great sigh he got up, onto his blistered feet and stumbled his way into the kitchenette.

"Alex? Alex come here. I want to tell you something," Chris called as little Alex Price walked towards him. "Are you thirsty?" Chris asked, hoping to irritate Ray further. With a little nod, Chris called, "Ray? Alex is thirsty. Can you get her a drink?" Much to the team's delight as they burst into more fits of violent laughter.

Alex Drake couldn't take her eyes off of her former self. The young girl was sat in Ray's chair with her legs dangling over the edge, unable to reach the floor in her little blue jumper and matching skirt and shoes and frilly ankle socks. Alex Drake couldn't understand why she didn't remember any of this. But everything had changed now because she survived the warehouse event, and so Evan wouldn't have been called into the station, therefore Alex Price wouldn't be there either, which wouldn't have happened if she hadn't killed Layton in 2008. So, because of this, her past had changed. But one thing remained the same; Arthur Layton wouldn't be dead for another twenty-seven years. But she managed to save her own life, so maybe she could end Layton's.

Breaking her away from her thoughts was the sight of Evan White. She couldn't bring herself to look at him; it was just too painful, knowing of the betrayal he was capable of. She couldn't be sure that he was at the warehouse, but Layton seemed to think it was, so it was good enough for her.

"Good morning, Alex. How are you coping?" Evan asked, not even a hint of guilt.

"Fine, thank you," she said, still refusing to look him in the eye, "Nothing I couldn't handle. But I will catch Layton, and anyone else who I think is involved," she warned, wilfully avoiding eye contact.

"I bet you will. From what I've seen, you're unstoppable," he said, almost smiling.

"That's right. We're two steps ahead of him. I know exactly what I'm doing and he can't even see that we are right under his nose," she finished, finally getting the strength to look him in the eye with a piercing glare.

"Well, good luck with that," he said, giving nothing away.

"Oh, I'll find him. No doubt about that. I will catch him and make his life a living h-"

"Oh, hello Evan. It was kind of you to join us," Gene said, startled at the looks Alex was giving Evan. She really did hate him. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Morning, Mr. Hunt! And how are we this morning?"

"Fandabydozy!" Gene said,. "Now, if you will join me in the interview room, we can have a little chat and help us catch the scum of the earth," he said, holding the door open for him.

"Isn't DI Drake joining us?" he asked, slightly afraid of being alone with DCI Hunt.

"Oh, no. She has got some other business to attend to with DS Carling. DC Skelton will look after the little lady and you can come with me," he said, smiling over to Alex Price as she made her way through a rapidly decreasing pile of pink wafers, a grin on her own face which was spluttered with pink crumbs.

--

"So. What exactly are we looking for?" Ray asked, looking into the hallway of the house Alex grew up in.

"Evidence," she said firmly, still unsure herself.

"What _kind_ of evidence then?" Ray asked, not certain of whether they would find anything.

"I don't know. Letters, diary entries, notes. Anything that screams Arthur Layton," she said, her confidence wavering.

"Whatever you say, ma'am," Ray called as he made his way upstairs.

"And don't forget to put everything back exactly how you found it!" she called after him.

"You sound like my mother. Don't worry, I can be discrete," he said, receiving a raised eyebrow from Alex.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, Mr White. When was the last time you saw Arthur Layton?" Gene asked, jumping head first into the deep end. He had a point to make, and The Manc Lion didn't pussy foot around.

"Can't really remember. It was about a month after he was arrested," he said, blatantly lying to him.

"And how well would you say that you knew Mr. Layton?" Gene said, trying to resist punching him in the face. From what Alex had told him, Gene would have had no trouble killing the man.

"Well, I had visited him once or twice in prison for Tim and the case. He's not my friend or anything. I could never befriend a man who is capable of murder."

"Really?" Gene said, risking his real reason for questioning him.

"No. Why would I?" Evan said, growing nervous as he started to fidget.

"No reason. If you had seen him, it would be easier for us to pin point his whereabouts. It would help us out. Are you sure?" Gene asked, giving him one more chance to come clean.

"Absolutely certain," Evan stated, giving nothing away.

--

"Can I have a cup of orange please, Sir?" young Alex asked, looking up at Chris.

"Sure you can, little miss," he said, getting up and over to the kitchenette, throwing a smile at Shaz.

"Is he you're boyfriend?" Alex asked as she wandered over to Shaz' desk.

"Yeah, he is." Shaz answered, surprised at the girl's quick observations. Just a simple smile and she had already picked up on their relationship.

"Is he a nice man?" Alex asked, sitting down on the floor with her legs crossed and her elbows resting on her knees, looking up at Shaz, her eyes full of questions.

"Yes, he is. Chris is a very nice man, aren't you Chris?" Shaz said upon noticing Chris' return. Chris, however, just blushed his deepest red and wandered sheepishly over.

"There you go, Alex. If you want any more, just let me know," and without giving her a chance to answer, he practically ran out of the squad room and down the corridor. As young Alex dragged her eyes back to Shaz, Alex Drake's desk caught her attention. On top of its surface was a red vase overflowing with purple lilies.

"They are DI Drake's flowers, Alex," Shaz said, noticing the look of awe on the girls face as she stared at the lilies.

"Is that the woman with the curly hair? Did her boyfriend send her them? He is a nice man. I like him," she said, turning to face Shaz once more.

"Yes, that's her. Who's a nice man?" Shaz asked, intrigued.

"The Gene Genie is a nice man. He saved me, remember," she said, looking at Shaz if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And what makes you think he's her boyfriend?" Shaz asked, interested to see where she was getting all her information and her naïve views on relationships.

"Because she makes him smile. He does a lot of shouting, but he is nice to her. He doesn't smile at you or your boyfriend or the pink wafer man. Just her. I think he loves her. Does she love him?" she asked, only to be confronted with a dumbfounded expression on Shaz' face.

"Yes, I think she does. You're a smart little girl aren't you? How do you know all that?" Shaz asked, confused at how much information she was able to gather in the short period of time she had been there.

"Just a good guess. I want to be a policewoman when I grow up. Do you think I will be good at it?" she asked, going all serious all of a sudden.

"I think you will be a great police woman when you're older, Alex."

--

"Ray?" Alex said, noticing the movement behind her.

"Yeah?" he called from upstairs, suddenly making Alex slightly nervous.

As she turned around, she was faced with an empty living room. Searching the house was proving pointless. They had found nothing and didn't expect to find much more. It was so frustrating knowing he's guilty and not being able to do anything about it. What puzzled Alex most were the words that Evan once spoke; that he talked about writing love letters to Caroline and the newspaper clippings from that fateful day, but neither had been found among his possessions despite the amount of time they had spent there. Maybe he was lying, but it seemed highly unlikely, but so did the possibility of falling in love with Gene Hunt. So that proved to Alex that in this world, anything was possible, she just had to be patient.

"Ma'am?" called Ray, making Alex suddenly optimistic that their journey hadn't been a complete waste of time. She rushed up the stairs to find Ray in Evan's bedroom. "Can we go yet? There's nothing 'ere and we're wasting our time," he said, noticing the disappointment on Alex's face, he added, "we could always check later on in the week or something."

"Yeah, okay Ray. Let's go," she said reluctantly as they made their way downstairs. Alex knew that Ray was right and she could do with a rest. There was only so long that Gene could question Evan without sounding too suspicious; afterall, Gene wasn't the most tactful person in the world.

--

"So, Alex, what's your favourite colour?" Chris asked, hoping to appear friendly to Alex Price while Gene tried to probe Evan about his attempt at murdering Alex Drake and his involvement with the car bomb.

"Blue," she said, feeling uncomfortable.

"But that's a boy colour and you're a girl," he stated, not understanding.

"What are you saying, Chris?" Shaz asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Well, she should like pink. That's what all girls like."

"Well, I don't. You don't have to be a boy to like blue. It's just a colour," Alex said defensively, daring Chris to continue his questioning, resulting in Chris becoming embarrassed and change the subject.

"So, what do you wanna be when you're older, Alex?"

"I want to join the Police Force," she said, challenging Chris to argue with her.

"But that's a-" Chris started, then stopped because of the jab to his ribs that he received from Shaz, "wonderful idea. I bet you'll be dead good at it," he said, hoping to not sound like a complete idiot. "It's very hard work you know?"

"Evan said that I could do whatever I like, because I'm special."

--

"So, do you have any idea where he might be hiding?" Gene asked, hoping to find out just the slightest bit of information.

"Well, have you tried his boat?" Evan said, hoping to at least sound useful.

"Yeah, we have. Nothing there," he said with a sigh, noticing a hint of delight from Evan.

"Well, I think that he has a place up in Shadwell, you could try there."

"Been there, done that. You're not proving very helpful, Mr White," Gene said, a slight menace to his voice.

"Well, I don't really know either. You just said that you wanted to see me, and I wanted you to help find that horrible man."

"Oh, we'll find him. It's just a matter of time."

"Good to hear. You know, Tim once mentioned that he has a flat over in Islington. You could check that out I suppose. No idea where though," Evan said, giving them a little clue so he seemed genuine, but you didn't have to be a genius to figure that he was lying and trying to waste their time. Either that, or he got satisfaction from knowing more than the police.

"So, just for the record, you haven't seen Arthur Layton since 'about a month' after he was arrested?" Gene said, using air quotes.

"Yes, that's correct. Can I go now?"

"Exactly why did you meet him that day? Timothy Price was the barrister, why would you need to go and see him?"

"Tim sent me. He was busy at the time. Probably making that video we saw," he said, absolutely no remorse in his tone.

"But, what I don't understand, is that I saw you visit Arthur Layton the day before Tim and Caroline died in the Wormwood Scrubs."

"I did not," he said, becoming flustered.

"Why would you lie?"

"I'm not!" He said, starting to panic as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Well, it was either him or another inmate. I don't suppose you got an Auntie Mayble locked up in there for GBH?" He said, getting more and more angry at the lies that Evan was feeding him. "Thought not."

"I was visiting a man named Stewart Brown," he said, so matter of fact, even though he had chose one of the most common surnames in the whole of England.

"Well, I'll get someone over there," he said, daring him to speak the truth, but was aware that Evan might think he is being targeted so he added, "your Mr. Brown might know Arthur. We need to build a profile in order to track him."

"A profile? I didn't think that was your kind of thing, Mr Hunt,"

"Yeah, well, DI Drake thinks it's a good idea, and we don't have much to go on," he admitted.

"Oh, so you are giving in to the demands of a female DI? Why? Is there something going on between you two?" he asked, genuinely curious. But before Gene had the chance to reply, he heard a pair of heels echoing in the corridor accompanied by the sound of another pair of what could only be a man's; Alex and Ray were back. _Hopefully, they got more out of this morning than I did. Bastard lawyer._

"I think that's all, Mr White. If we need you again we will be sure to give you a call,"_ you slimey git._

--

"Well, hello there little lady," Gene said, greeting Alex.

"I thought Alex Price was 'little lady'?" Ray asked, slightly confused.

"She is," he clarified, leaving Ray even more confused as he kissed Alex briefly on the lips and added "So, how's your day been?" Gene asked his DC and his DI.

"Well, it was a waste of bloody time, that's what," Ray replied. "And I'm off to see Chris because well erm..." he trailed off, noticing Gene groping Alex's bum and deciding his breath was wasted because neither of them were listening. "I fancy him rotten and i'm going to suck his cock in the interview room. So, I'll be off then," he said, hoping to get their attention.

"Ok then, Ray," Alex said, kissing Gene once more.

* * *

**Thanks for taking the time to read this, and if you could spare another minute to review, that would be brilliant. I now accept anonymous reviews so anyone - member or not, can leave a review, so don't hesitate to voice your opinion, good or bad.**


	4. Hello? DI Drake speaking

**Ok, no real plot to this chapter - I just felt it was time for a little fun!**

**Thanks goes out to AshGurl2897 for beta duties and patience!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Well, that was surprising, Gene," Alex said upon walking down to the restaurant from her flat.

"You know me, Bolly. I'm full of surprises," he said, that twinkle in his eyes.

"Ooh, I like surprises Gene. Can I have a surprise?" said Molly as she caught site of her mum entering Luigi's. Since her arrival, Molly had made friends with Antonio, Luigi's son and spent almost all of her time in the restaurant with him, which worked brilliantly for Gene and Alex because it meant they could have time alone.

"I don't think you will really like the surprises I give your mum, Molly." Gene said, trying to hide the smirk from his voice.

"Exactly. Besides, if you knew you were getting a surprise, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" she said, trying to stay clear of the 'surprise' in question.

"Okay, you win. I need to be getting back to school anyway. See you at home?" she said, packing her belongings together from the table that was previously Alex and Gene's table. By being only two blocks from school, it meant she could always come home for lunch so she could be with her mother, which was always nice because in 2008, their bond wasn't as strong as it is now because Alex was always working. What struck most was the fact that Molly had referred to the flat in 1981 as home, like she had truly accepted her life in the world she knew nothing about.

--

"Alright lads, what've you got for me?"

"That was a long lunch, Guv. We've been back ages," Ray said, smirking at Gene.

"Yes. Well, DI Drake and I had some matters to discuss, Sergeant. And I don't need to explain myself to you." He said, responding with an all knowing glare.

"Matters concerning the case?" Chris asked, eager to join in.

"Er, well…" started Gene, but found himself at loss at what to say.

"Yes, Chris. DCI Hunt and I were talking about the interview with Evan and my trip to his house with Ray to see if we had found any links or evidence. Ok? Interrogation over?" she said, looking from one to the other.

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am," said Chris and Ray in unison.

"Now if you need me, I'll be in my office, I've got some important phone calls to make," Gene said, before striding over to his office and closing the door, but not before throwing a wink at Alex. Just as they heard the door close behind him, it opened again, "And before I forget, look at that chair. This time next week there will be a replacement for DC Lewis sitting in it, so get your arses in gear because you are all replaceable." He said, noticing the hurt on Alex's face. "Well most of you, anyway," he added, his face softening as his eyes met hers.

"Hey, Ray. You got any idea who the new bloke's gonna be?" Chris asked.

"Nah, sorry mate. I just hope we don't get anyone from Special Branch, they're all wankers up there," he said, sighing at the possibilities.

"What makes you say it's a man? It could be a woman," stated Shaz.

"Why would it be a woman Shaz? We've already got two of yer, and the Guv as already got a bird, so we don't need another one," Ray said, ever confident.

"DI Drake was transferred here because she is a good detective, not because she is easy on the eyes. I thought you would have known that by now."

"Yeah but it helps, don't it," Ray said, looking at confirmation from Chris who was finding it hard to answer, given the icy stare that Shaz was giving him.

"Well, she is good at her job," he said, not wishing to divulge any further.

"DS Ray Carling, Detective Inspector Drake became an inspector because she is really good at her job. She has helped us solve plenty of cases with her psychology and stuff. It's not her fault the Guv finds her attractive. Do you think you weren't promoted because you're not good looking? Well, its not! It's because you can't tell your left hand from your right!" she said in a huff and walked out, making sure she slammed the door in the process.

Once Alex had come back from her errand, she came and sat down at her desk. She was about to ask Chris where the notes from Gene's interview were, but they were having some kind of heated discussion and her phone was ringing.

"Hello, DI Drake speaking?"

"Well, hello Mz Drake," said a sleazy voice coming from the receiver.

"Hello, Sir. Can I help you?" she asked, wanting to know the identity of the mysterious caller.

"In a number of ways. What are you wearing?" said the voice.

"Excuse me? Can I ask who is speaking please?"

"You can ask all you like."

"Ok, pal. I have no idea who you are, nor do I wish to continue this conversation. Some of us have work to attend to and not annoying members of the police. So unless you want me to trace this call and have you in the cells by four, I suggest you leave me the hell alone!" Alex said, and slammed down the receiver.

Five seconds later, her phone rang.

"Hello, DI Drake speaking?"

"Well, that wasn't very nice of you, inspector," said the same voice.

"You're right, it wasn't. Now leave me alone or I won't hesitate to track you down. Understood?" she said, starting to worry.

"I understand perfectly, Bolly," said the voice.

"Gene?" she asked, looking into his office to try and catch a glimpse of him, but the blinds were down.

"Who?" He asked, giving nothing away, "I was just wondering if you wanted any champagne? Pop the cork off the ol' bottle," he added.

"Ok, ha ha very funny," she said with far too much sarcasm that she was beginning to draw attention to herself.

"Well, I'm a funny guy. This Gene you talk of, would it happen to be DCI Gene Hunt?"

"That's the man," she said, her confidence rising.

"What's he like?"

"A perverted little scumbag with nothing better to do than make prank phone calls," she said, showing humour rather than annoyance.

"Sounds like a great bloke to me," he said, still not revealing his real voice or identity.

"He can be, but he can't be trusted," Alex replied.

"Oh yeah, why's that?" He said, genuinely interested.

"Because he is a bare faced liar. He said he had a lot of work to do, yet he sits in his office distracting his staff."

"I think you're wrong. It's not his fault his staff is distracted. If he was on the phone, talking to a member of staff like you, there is nothing stopping you putting the phone down."

"But there is also nothing stopping him phoning again."

"Maybe you like the sound of his voice. I hear he is a very attractive man," Alex couldn't deny that; he had that husky growl that made her go weak at the knees. The Manc Lion indeed.

"Your source is correct."

"So, what's he like in bed?"

"He's alright I suppose," she said, suddenly enjoying her chance to toy with him.

"Alright? _Alright_?" he said, his voice wavering slightly.

"Well, I've had better," she said, looking at her nails, nonchalant in case he was watching.

"Oh yeah? Who?" he said, genuinely curious.

"No one in particular. He could do with a few lessons to be honest."

"And are you gonna teach him?" he said, an air of mischief in his tone.

"I might do. But I have a lot of work to do at the moment and not nearly enough time. If I get a chance to finish my work, then he's in for a treat." Just as she finished her sentence, she heard the dial tone. He'd hung up.

"Bolly? Are you gonna be on that phone all day or are you actually gonna do some work?" Gene said, emerging from his office, the receiver detached and flung on his desk.

"I am sorry, Gene. I should really get on." She said, placing the receiver down.

"Who was on the phone anyway? Anyone important?" He asked, leaning on the doorjamb.

"No, not really. He was just wasting police time," she said, as casual as she could muster.

"People should be arrested for that kind of thing."

"I wouldn't hesitate to cuff him, Guv," she said, earning a raised eyebrow from Gene.

"Sounds like a right bastard to me."

"Oh, he is," she said, smirking as she did so. Just as he was about to comment, she flicked open a file, signalling the end to the conversation and Gene retreated back into his den.

Around two minutes later, Alex's phone rang once more.

"Well, hello again. How may I help you?" she asked, adding as much seduction to her tone as she could get away with. Now it was her turn to tease him.

"Er… well a cuppa would be nice," said Ray, "And make sure to get some more pink wafers," added Chris, each of them trying to hide the laughter from there faces as she turned in her chair to find Chris and Ray huddled over the telephone receiver.

"You know, some of us have actually got a lot of work to do?" Alex said changing her tone as she hung up and gesturing to the files.

"It seems you do, ma'am. You best crack on, we can't have you distracted now, can we?" Ray said, clearly aware of the previous conversation and the mysterious caller.

"Indeed, boys. And you know what gets me working more than anything else?" she asked, sauntering over to their desks in a flirtatious manner, causing each of them to gulp.

"I can think of a few things," Ray muttered.

"Coffee, and as I recall, you're on coffee duty, Ray," she said, an air of satisfaction about her.

"How do you take it?" he asked, implying more than what appeared on the surface.

"No sugar, and make it strong. If it's weak it just spoils it and doesn't quench your thirst, or give you the kick that you were after to take you over the edge or fill the desires of an energy boost," she said, making Ray suddenly become uncomfortable as he dashed off to the kitchenette.

--

"So, Chris. You got those notes from the interview?"

"With Evan?"

"No, with the Queen Mother," she said with a touch too much sarcasm, noticing the look on Chris' face. Not only did he look confused, he began lifting papers and opening files on his desk in search for interview notes on the Queen's mother. Feeling sorry for him, she added, "Joke, Chris. Of course I meant the interview with Evan."

"I know that, I was just looking for my chuddy," he said, trying to cover up his embarrassment. " I think I gave them to Shaz to type up, ma'am, but she's gone off in a huff. The doc warned me about mood swings but I-"

"Not to worry. She'll be around here somewhere. I could do with stretching my legs," she said, catching a snigger from Ray. "I've been sat down too long, Ray. I'm not going to be much good if the blood flow stops and my legs don't work, now am I?" which just fuelled the sniggering that seemed contagious as most of the squad room were fit to burst.

"I hear that," Ray muttered, but failed in hiding his opinion from his DI.

"I'm just saying that I could do with a bit of exercise," she said, which caused Ray to just burst into outright laughter. Knowing that nothing she could say or do would change their maturity levels of a normal human being, she walked out of the squad room just as the tears were forming in Ray's eyes.

--

"Hi, Shaz. I've been looking all over for you." Alex said, finding Shaz at the front stairs of the station.

"Oh, hi ma'am," she said, getting up and brushing down her uniform.

"Everything all right, Shaz?" she asked.

"Everything's fine, ma'am. Just that lot in there," Shaz said, nodding inside the building.

"Ah, yes. Them," she said, matching Shaz' tone.

---

"Hi, Luigi. Do you have the spare keys to my mum's flat? I still need to do some packing for tomorrow and I want to get a head start," Molly said, "can Tony come help too?" She added.

"Certainly Signorina, one moment," he replied, before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Gratzi, Signor," Molly said, smiling at Luigi.

"I see Antonio has been teaching you Italian," he replied, patting Antonio on the head.

"Si, Si Signor. Addio Luigi," she said, waving goodbye, "C'mon Tony, we've got a lot of work to do," she added as they made their way up to Alex's flat.

---

"You lot! Where's Bolly gone?"

"She said she needed some exercise, Guv. Fancy some yourself?" Ray asked.

"I'm good thank you, Raymondo. But I would be more than happy to kick that arse of yours into shape," Gene said, fetching his coat. "Alright then lads, it's knocking off time," he added, shrugging on his coat, "Chop chop. Luigi awaits."

Once the boys were ready, Alex and Shaz appeared in the squad room.

"Did you get that exercise you were after, ma'am?" Ray said.

"Yes, thank you Ray. Going somewhere?" Alex asked, noticing the men in their coats.

"Luigi's. It's been a long day, so we're all knackered and gagging for a pint," Gene added, noticing everyone make their way out. Gene however, waited for Alex until the two of them were alone.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" He asked, helping her put on her coat and putting his arm around her as they walked through the corridors of CID.

"I don't know, Gene. I've got my hands full at the moment," she replied, noticing the disappointment of Gene's face.

"I have," he said, lowering his hands to her bottom, "But you haven't," he added.

"Seriously though, I have a lot of work to do. I can't just drop my load for you," she said, becoming annoyed at his insistence.

"I drop my load every night for you, Bolly. And I intend to do just that, tonight," he said, making sure to pinch her bum as he did so.

"C'mon Guv. You're buying the first round," Chris called, unable to hear their conversation.

"So what do you really wanna do tonight?" Gene asked, hoping to change her mind.

"I was thinking of teaching?" Alex said, raising an eyebrow. The temptation of a night with Gene overruled the work load.

"Depends in the lesson," he whispered. Noticing the crowd of officers approaching, he decided he would be better acquainted with Alex.

"Sorry lads, you'll have to go on without me. Got a lot of catching up to do and I need to discuss the findings DI Drake and Ray found," he said, unconvincingly.

"But you've already discussed them at lunch, Guv," Chris said.

"Well, I need to discuss them further, Christopher," he said, clearly irritated at having to explain himself. Catching the look on Gene's face, they all took the hint and took refuge inside Luigi's.

"After you," Gene said, walking round his Quattro to open Alex's door as he helped her inside.

"Why thank you kind Sir," she replied, kissing him on the cheek.

---

"Well, that was a lovely meal, Gene," Alex said, "I could get used to this," she added, as Gene opened her door for her to get out.

"Well don't bother. I figured I'd take you out for a nice meal so it'll get me some brownie points for some special treatment in class," he said, full of mischief as they walked the stairs to Alex's flat.

"Oh, you'll be getting plenty of that," Alex said, linking her arm in his, "but only if you're good," she added, brushing his jacket from his shoulders as they reached her door.

"Then your will is my command," Gene replied, lifting her blouse from her skirt. As she turned to open the door, Gene took the liberty of unzipping the back of her skirt.

Turning to face him, her back against the door, she replied, "So that's how you want to play it?"

"All fun and games me, Bolly. All work and no play makes the Genie an unhappy man. But I must warn you, I wasn't much of a model student"

"Well, that's because you didn't have a very good teacher," she said, earning her a kiss from Gene. As he kissed her, Alex began pulling at Gene's tie to bring him closer, before ripping the buttons from his shirt, trailing kisses as she went. Once she had prised his shirt open, Gene reached behind Alex to open the door. Staggering across the living room, Alex and Gene made their way to her bedroom, undressing each other on the way.

As the doorknob to her bedroom turned, Molly looked up as the gap began to widen and the two figures emerged.

"Mum!" Molly said, witnessing both Alex and Gene kissing one another, neither of them able to see her.

"And Mister Hunt!" Antonio added, making both Alex and Gene jump apart. Both Antonio and Molly looked on at the two adults: Alex wearing only her underwear, stockings and heels as Gene stood before them in his vest and boxer shorts with his trousers around his ankles.

---

**Ok, hopefully you wont have to wait as long for the next chapter. I'll try and get the next chapter up in a weeks time. If this doesn't happen, feel free to remind me.**

**Just letting everyone know, there is now an Ashes to Ashes category in Fanfiction. I contacted them and they have granted my request and put one up. If you cannot see the category, it simply means there isn't any stories stored inside it. However, I will be putting my other stories in that category and I think everyone else should do the same. It's about time we had a seperate category from Life On Mars!**


	5. Moving Out

**OK, not beta-d just yet, i was just aware of the wait you guys have had to endure. If there are any major typos or anything, just PM me.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Alright lads, off you trot," Gene said, pulling up outside his house in a Ford Transit.

"Where do you wan' 'em, Guv?" Chris asked, barely audible given the size of the box he was holding.

"Well in the house would be good, Christopher," Gene barked. "What're you doing?" he asked, watching Alex and Shaz picking up boxes.

"We're helping out. It's my stuff you're carrying," Alex said.

"Blokes job, Bolly. You just make sure Ray isn't mooching through your gear and Chris hasn't broken anything. As for you, Shaz, you're preggers. You can't be lifting this stuff. Go put the kettle on."

"It was good of the Super to lend you this Transit, Guv," Ray said.

"Lend? Oh yeah, it was. Good bloke," Gene said.

"It was good of him to let us all have the morning off too!" Chris added.

"Yeah well, like I said, good bloke," He said, pleased with a morning outside the office.

---

"All the time I have worked for you, Guv, I never knew where you lived," Shaz said, picking a dining chair up from the van and sitting on the lawn.

"Well I'm not expecting any visits, got it?" Gene warned, picking up a box.

"Loud and clear. Fancy a cuppa, Guv?" Shaz asked.

"Cheers, Shaz. Make sure you put enough in there for Chris and Ray, too," Gene said, heading into the house.

"So, how you doing then, Shaz?" Alex asked, pulling up a chair. Considering the time of year, the weather was on their side as the boys unloaded the van while Alex and Shaz sat on dining chairs in the middle of the lawn.

"Not too bad, thanks, ma'am. Three months now, gunna start getting a big belly," she said, sighing as she rubbed her stomach.

"Ah yes, but just thing of all the new clothes you'll be able to buy," Alex said, watching Shaz' face light up.

"Why the chairs, ma'am? I thought you were just bringing your clothes and stuff?" Shaz said, gesturing to the van.

"Have you seen the chairs in that place, Shaz? There isn't any. There is a couch, a TV, and an old armchair for furniture," Alex said, "And everything else is at least ten years old," Alex added. Having only been in Gene's house three times, it was enough to tell Alex that they were better off at her flat. But now Molly was here, her place was overcrowded and they needed more space.

"Hey, Guv. Wait up," Ray said, trying to catch up with Gene as he made his way upstairs.

"What do you want, Raymondo?"

"Well you know yesterday you told me to be spontained with Nina?"

"Spontaneous, Ray, yes. Did it work?"

"Not really, Guv. I picked her up at her place and she invited me inside while she finished getting ready."

"Nice one, Raymondo!" Gene said, proud he could help.

"Well I thought so too," Ray said. "So when she were finished, I took 'er 'and like you did with DI Drake and twirled 'er around all fancy like," he said, explaining, "but then it all went wrong," he added, sitting down on the top of the stairs.

"How? All you had to do was kiss her. Have you forgotten-"

"Nah, that was all good and tha'. Thing is, I lowered 'er to the ground like you did, but then I dropped her. She knocked her head on the hearth and she went out cold. I didn't know what to do," he said, burying his head in his hands as Gene sat beside him.

"You're supposed to tell me you rang an ambulance, Ray. Is she ok?" Gene asked.

"Oh, yeah. She's fine now. Am gunna go and see 'er tonight in 'ospital. She needed a few stitches on her head but that's abou' it."

"Unbelievable! I didn't say you had to do what I did, Ray. Just surprise her like. Should of just got 'er a bunch of flowers or something," Gene said, frustrated at his Sergeant.

"But flowers aren't my thing," Ray said, confused.

"Exactly. She knows that, so by buying them, you are surprising her. She'll think they're all nice and stuff. You know how birds get when you but them flowers. Chocolate's a no no. You buy them chocolate and they start going on about trying to lose weight. And before you know it, you're volunteering to go to the gym with 'em. Trust me, 'ave been there," said Gene, shuddering at the thought of using a treadmill.

"Well when I go to see 'er tonight, Guv, I'll bring 'er some daff's or something," Ray said, finally understanding. "That way, she wont think I'm all soft or anything 'cause you're supposed to bring flowers to 'ospitals," Ray said.

"Daffs? Why bring her daffodils? Get 'er some lilies or roses. More romantic like," Gene said.

"I haven't got money to waste, Guv," Ray said, shocked at the thought of splashing out on expensive flowers.

"Do you like this girl, Raymondo?" Gene asked, watching Ray nod he added, "well buy her some decent flowers, not sumink you can pick up at the local garage. When has my advise ever failed you before? Exactly," he said, getting up to go downstairs to collect more boxes from the van.

"Didn't have you down for the romantic type, Guv," Ray called, surprised at Gene. At this remark, Gene stopped dead on the stairs. _Gene Hunt was not romantic._

"I'm not. But to be in a relationship, you gotta come to a compromise. If I do a few things that she likes like buying her some nice flowers or we go out for a nice meal and in return, she does a few things that I like, but my interests do not concern you, Raymondo," he said, making his way out. _Different bird, same Guv_, Ray thought, smiling to himself.

---

"Ma'am? Where do you want this?" Chris said, grabbing a box out of the van.

"Anywhere you like, Chris. You okay carrying that box? It's a heavy one. Got all my books and ornaments and stuff," Alex said.

""Yeah babes, put it down. Don't want you to hurt yourself, just get another one and Ray can get that one," Shaz said, looking on at Chris, straining all of his muscles.

"I can manage, ladies. Just because Ray's all macho and the Guv's the er Guv, it doesn't mean I'm not capable of a bit of man power," he said, almost dropping the box.

"Well only if you're sure, Chris," Alex said, trying to sound like she believed him. "Watch how you go."

"I think I know the route by now, ma'am," Chris said, sure of himself. To try and prove to them that he could do it, he held his head high and headed inside. Just as he reached the threshold, he tripped on the step and fell flat on his face. Miraculously, he still managed to hold on to the box. "See? None of its broken or anything," he said, proud of himself. Picking the box up once more, he took one more step and the base of the box fell through. Looking on, both Shaz and Alex tried to contain their laughter and hide the grins on their faces. "Sorry. You put too many things in the box," he said, trying to justify his actions.

"Twonk," Ray said, watching Chris on his knees as he gathered Alex's belongings. Sitting on the edge of the boot of the van, Ray added, "We're almost done in there, ma'am. Us men need a reward for all the hard graft," he said, causing a grin and a wink from Gene and a snigger badly covered with a cough from Alex. "Fancy going to Luigi's?" he continued, trying to ignore the childish sniggers from everyone else.

"Yeah, sure. It looks like it's gunna start raining anyway," Alex said.

"We're in London, ma'am; it always looks that way," Ray said.

"True. I could do with a drink, actually," Alex said, getting up and putting the chair inside.

"You could always do with a drink, Bolly," Gene added, shrugging on his coat.

---

"So, what do you think of your new pad?" Gene asked.

"Well it's a lot better with me in it," Alex added, pouring herself another drink from what amounted to their third bottle.

"Sure is. Not so sure about those stupid cushions, though," Gene added. "What's the point of hundreds of cushions chucked on every inch of the house?"

"Scatter cushions, Gene. Just a bit of decoration to our bedroom. It just lightens things up a bit."

"For what it's worth, you light up every room, Bolly."

"I'm still keeping the cushions," she said, smug.

"Fine," he said angrily. _Worth a try._

_---_

"Chris? I believe it's your round," Gene slurred.

"It's always my round, Guv," Chris protested.

"So what are yer waiting for? Go get 'em," Ray added.

"Same again, everyone?" Chris asked, knowing he wasn't going to be able to get out of it.

"Looks like it, Chris. Nothing for me though, I need to go pick Molly up," Alex said, getting up and shrugging on her leather jacket.

"Don't you worry about that, Bolly. I'll go. You'll never be able to drive the van anyway. Not with the amount of rubbish you've drank," Gene said, causing Alex to sit back down.

"What about you? You've drank just as much as me," Alex protested.

"I, Bolly, have driven home a lot worse than I am now. I can drink this lot under the table and still manage to drive home in reverse," he said, self-confidence oozing from his drunken form. _He had a point. He certainly wouldn't drive home if there was a chance of scratching his Quattro_, Alex thought to herself, and therefore agreed.

"Well, drive carefully," she warned.

"No worries, I'll be back in ten minutes," he said, but Gene could see that that was the problem to begin with, so he added, "ok, fine. Fifteen," and then he left, car keys swinging from his fingers.

---

Standing outside Luigi's, he realised his Quattro was low on petrol and decided to take the Transit. He got inside, took a swig from his hipflask and started the van. On his way over to the school, Gene couldn't help but feel pleased at how well everything was going. Alex was happy, Molly was happy, his team was happy. Everything was going to plan. This was the life that Gene Hunt wanted. And he was going to hang on to it as long as possible. So Layton was on the loose and Evan was proving a few problems, but no one could stand in the way of Gene's happiness.

Turning the radio up, he didn't realise the figure stood in front of him until it was too late.

"Tim?" Gene said, slamming the brakes on as the van screeched along the road. But looking up once more, the figure that was Timothy Price had disappeared and all was heard was a scream. The scream of a child.

---

**Ok, hope you enjoyed it. Not the best chapter, but in terms of the story, it's about to get a whole lot worse for our favourite DCI.**


	6. Trouble Ahead

**Hope it was worth the wait! Anyway, things start to get heated...**

**And thanks Gem for looking this over and correcting my spelling. And to AshGurl for taking the time to sort my grammar out! You're both brill!**

* * *

**Chapter 6.**

"What the hell did you think you were playing at?" Alex asked, storming through the corridors to meet Gene.

"Well, I was picking Molly up from school," he said, a picture of cool.

"Don't take that tone with me, Gene," she warned, her temper rising.

"You asked me to go and pick Molly up, I did. Stop moaning," Gene said, exasperated.

"Stop moaning? STOP MOANING? Gene, my daughter is hospitalised because of you. You could have killed her!" Alex said, steam almost coming out of her ears.

"But I didn't, Bolly. That's the important thing!" He said, raising his voice

"THE IMPORTANT THING??? Gene, Molly could have died. This is just so typical of you. You never bother to think that your actions might be dangerous, that you should consider the consequences of your actions beforehand. Sometimes I don't even know why I bother with you!" She screamed, causing a few onlookers to exit the ward.

"It's because you love me, and I love you," Gene tried, hoping to calm her down.

"Not at times like this, I don't. She could have died Gene. I know what that feels like remember? I was shot in the head," she said, trying to ignore the look of hurt in Gene's eyes.

"So you keep saying. But that bullet brought you to me. At least one good thing came out of it. You have a life here," he said, clearly grasping at straws.

"That's true. I do have you, but I could have lost _her_, Gene. You have never had a child so you don't know what it feels like. You don't understand," she said, calming down slightly.

"And you always will have me. Besides, I can still drive you home. There was no damage to my car," he said, trying to be the optimist.

"Is that all you can think about. Do you think this is funny?" She asked, her anger boiling.

"Of course I don't think its funny. I know how much Molly means to you. I would never dream of harming her. I wouldn't hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it."

"So she deserved it, did she?" Alex asked.

"Of course she didn't deserve it. It was a mistake. In all truth Bolly, she shouldn't have been stood in the middle of the road," he said, trying to convince her that Molly was in the wrong.

"IT WAS A ZEBRA CROSSING OUTSIDE A SCHOOL!" She screamed.

"Alright, keep yer hair on! No need to shout," Gene said, suddenly deafened by Alex's scream.

"Have you not been listening to anything I just said?"

"Every word, Bolly."

"Excuse me, Sir," the Doctor said, approaching them hesitantly.

"What?" Gene said, trying to calm down.

"Your daughter is responding well to the drugs. At this time, you may need to limit your visits because she's still critical."

"Thanks Doc'," Gene said, before the Doctor walked away.

"Daughter? _Daughter_?? Do you think her father would have run her over?" Alex said, watching Gene as he tried to respond.

"Listen, Bolly. I'm going to get back to the station 'cause I still need t' pick up my Quattro, and at the moment, I can't see us agreeing on anything so I'll see you tonight," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Fine," Alex responded, still not pleased.

---

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning till Gene decided to go to bed. He considered waiting up for Alex, but with the mood he had last seen her in, he wasn't prepared to come to blows with it after a skin full of alcohol. He'd assumed that she would just do her own thing and come home within the hour. But Alex didn't return home that night, nor was she at work the following morning.

---

It was one o'clock when Alex returned to the station. She strolled in; her shoulders sunk and slumped into her chair wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Peering through the blinds, Gene wasn't sure what to believe.

"Where've you been, Drake?" Gene asked, forcefully, noticing the lack of eye contact. "Just because you're shagging the boss, doesn't mean you can turn up when you feel like it," he added, realising his mistake almost instantly.

Alex finally looked up into his eyes, her own surrounded in dark shadows. "For you're information, _Guv_, I have been by my daughter's side in hospital because some oaf decided to run her over," she finished, trying to keep as calm as possible.

"It wasn't my fault. I've told you, Bolly," Gene said, exasperated.

"Yes, you've told me. But I still don't get an apology," she said.

"That's because it wasn't my fault," he said, raising his voice. "It was the van."

"A good driver can drive any car," Alex said

"A car, Bolly. Not a van," he replied.

"Well you should have driven the Quattro then," Alex said, barely keeping her temper.

"Out of petrol, Bolly."

"And I suppose that's my fault is it?" She asked

"Yeah, actually."

"So, it's my fault my daughter has been run over? That I caused it all?"

"That's not what I meant," Gene warned, his temper rising.

"What did you mean?" Alex said, getting up from her chair.

"I just er, well I er…" Gene was at a loss as to what to say to her. "Just get some work done will yer," he said, storming into his office, the echo of the door slamming filling the squad room.

"I'm not finished with you yet, Hunt!" Alex said, storming into his office, leaving the door open for all to hear.

"Well, I'm finished with you, Drake!"

"You know, you're right, Gene. I am finished with you! I'll be out of the house before you get home," she bellowed, squaring Gene in the eyes. Watching his reaction, she span on her heel and stormed out of his office, slamming his door in the process, leaving Gene dumbfounded.

"Alex? Alex!" Gene said, but Alex continued walking. "That's not what I meant! What do you mean you're finished?" Gene was beginning to feel nervous. He had worked so hard towards their relationship and now he had gone and stepped his foot in it. "DI Drake, if you still want your job, I suggest you stop what you're doing right now," he said, clearly grasping at straws - but it worked.

"Well, I'm not too sure I want a boss who runs kids over, _Guv_," she said, putting her jacket on.

"Here we go," Ray muttered, watching everything fall apart.

"QUIET!" both Alex and Gene yelled, frightening Ray.

"Sorry, Guv," Ray said, putting his head down.

"Dinosaurs have been extinct thousands of years Gene. Why didn't you go with them? Why are you still here?" Alex asked, waving her hands around.

"I am needed, Bolly. Everybody needs a piece of the Gene Genie. That's why I'm here," he replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world

"Well, I don't need you, Gene. I never needed you, and I never will," she said, leaning in against him.

"You're wrong, Alex," Gene said, trying to keep his temper.

"Am I?" She said, standing straight, folding her arms, waiting for him to continue.

"You will always need me. Who else is going to save you, Bolls?"

"You put me in danger in the first place!!!"

"You know that's not true," he said, trying to grab hold of her hand. His efforts failed.

"I've nearly died almost every day I've been here, Gene. Sure, you have saved me every time, but I wouldn't be in that mess in the first place if it weren't for you!" Alex said. "You know what I think? I think you need me." She added.

"Bollocks!"

"Yeah, that's right. It's you that needs me. You need to be needed, Gene. When you're not needed, you don't know what to do. So, you put us in danger to make yourself feel good. You would have been fired by now if it wasn't for me."

"I have never needed a woman, Bolly. That sign on my door proves that."

"That may be so, Gene. But when you got that job, policing wasn't as it is now. It's because of Sam Tyler, your team and me, that you keep that job."

"You, Bolly, need help. Ok, so I might not be the ideal copper; I might screw up from time to time, act before I think, drink my bodyweight it booze. But you forget; I am not the one who goes home at night, talking to herself about things that don't exist, with theories that make no sense, with no one to talk to but me. And even then it makes no sense."

"It doesn't make sense to the likes of you because you-"

"Have a brain? Common sense? Are not a posh twat? Please Alex, why does it not make sense to me?" He said, waiting for her to reply. "You know what I think? I think you should go back to where you came from. You are not needed here, and I have no use for you."

"Oh, so you were just using me were you? Just another piece of skirt? Boosting your ego? So all along they were all lies that you fed me to get me into bed? You. Are. Pathetic."

"If I am so pathetic, Alex, then why did you spend so much time with me? It takes two, Bolly. You wanted a life with me. And I have no use for you on my team. They need me, not you."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Well, for a start, I am their DCI. I give them the information they need for us to solve the crimes."

"Chris needs Shaz. Ray can look after himself. They are all capable of a life without you. They can get another leader just as easily. All they needed from you was your Quattro and your tab at Luigi's. You're a DCI, Gene, not God. Now get up off your pedestal and get out of my way!" Alex said, striding out of the room, leaving all of CID staring at the tall wooden doors as she left the station.

* * *

**Haven't even began writing chapter 7, so it could be anything up to 2 weeks til another update. If it's any longer, just give me a nudge and I shall get right on it!**


	7. Gone

**Sorry for the wait guys! A nice little surprise at the end of this one too!**

**Thanks to AshGurl2897 for beta-ing this too!**

**

* * *

****Chapter 7**

"Drake! You get back here!" Gene bellowed, hoping to stop Alex from leaving.

"Why? Why should I do that? Hmm?" Alex replied, staring right at him.

"Because if you don't, you will never step foot in there again," he said, hoping to persuade her.

"And that's a bad thing, is it?" she said, walking towards him.

"It is if you want to keep your job," he stated.

"Well, what if I don't?" Alex said, reaching Gene. "What if I never want to see you again?" she spat.

"Well, you'd be missing out love" Gene said, trying to hide the hurt from his voice.

"Shame," she said, turning around to leave once more. As she began to walk forward, Gene held her shoulder back, forcing her to turn around.

"Reconsider, Alex," Gene said, adopting a softer tone.

"Get off me!" she said, shrugging his hand away. "And don't even think about following me," she finished, marching out towards the exit.

"You need two weeks notice, Drake," Gene said.

"Don't make me laugh," she said, before leaving the building. Once the doors had swung closed, Gene slumped his shoulders, and headed back to the squad room.

Upon opening the doors, he managed to knock Chris to the floor, noticing the glass cup next to him. _Nosy bastards_!

"As of today, DI Drake will no longer be apart of this team. But, I suppose you already knew that, Christopher," he said, disgust written on his face.

"But Guv!" Shaz said.

"But Guv nothing, Granger. Her decision is final," he said daring anyone to question him. "And even if she did want to stay, I would have fired her anyway. No one speaks to me like that. You hear?"

"Yes, Guv," everyone chorused.

"Good! Now off to work!" he said, retreating into his office.

For two hours Gene battled with his conscience on whether to go and see Alex. He sat at his desk, the blinds drawn closed as he slowly drunk himself into a stupor. On the other side of the door, sat in silence, were his cubs.

"You go ask him," whispered Shaz.

"Why should I? You are the one who wants to know," Chris replied. "Oi!" Chris called, throwing a paper aeroplane at Ray, "Go and ask the Guv."

"Fine, if it'll shut you two up," he sighed, getting up and readying himself for the lion as he walked the dreaded steps to his office.

He knocked waiting to be allowed entry but came no reply. So just to put his mind at rest, he knocked again, louder.

"Well, come in then you dozy pillock. The door ain't gonna open itself, you know?"

"Sorry Guv," he said, hanging his head.

"Well, spit it out then! Whaddaya want?" he spat, acting like a spoiled child.

"Well, it's gone six, Guv. Can we go to lunch?" Ray asked, not too sure he wanted the reply he was about to receive.

"I'm not your mother, Raymondo; if you want to go eat, eat!" he said, pouring himself another glass of whiskey. "I'm just your DCI, you don't need to answer to me," he said, sarcasm oozing from his lips. "_She_ certainly didn't," he added, sighing into his glass.

Ray was caught between joining the others or whether to listen to his Guv. Deciding with the latter, he closed the door and asked, "You wanna talk abou' it, Guv?"

"Do I want to talk about it?" he said, mockingly "Do I want to talk about it?" He repeated, standing up, leaning against the desk as he squared his sergeant in the eye.

"Nevermind. Sorry Guv, I'll be going then," he said, leaving his office. As he closed the door behind him, the squad room was filled with the sound of Gene's desk being overturned, its contents falling to the ground. The sound shocked every soul in CID as they shrugged on their jackets and scampered out into the street, heading for the comfort of Luigi's.

"I hope DI Drake comes back," Shaz said, walking down the stairs to the restaurant.

"Me too, Shaz. For all our sakes!" Ray replied, worried about his Guv's behaviour. "I'll go check on him later, he can kip over mine tonight. Shouldn't be alone when he's like this," Ray added, getting a sympathetic look from Chris. "I'm not going to shag the man, Chris! He's the Guv! Our Guv. If he is 'avin' a hard time, we stick by him, that's what mates do!" he said, getting defensive. "Besides, if he's in a bad mood, we all suffer. I wouldn't like to think he took his anger out on us like he did with his desk," he added.

* * *

Five days had passed since Alex had left CID, everyone still hoping for her to return; one person in particular. He would come in everyday and just sit in his office, saying nothing to nobody. And everyday he stared through the blinds of his office, his eyes resting on her empty chair, hoping for the angel of his aching heart to return. She may be furious with him now, but she'd come around, she always did. At least that's what he kept telling himself anyway. With her gone, the place felt different, cold somehow; the walls felt bare, nothing felt the same, even winding his DC up didn't have the same effect. The truth was he was losing the world he had come to love most, starting with the person that brought it together in the first place. He'd survived forty-five years without her; surely he could manage a few more. Twenty-eight of those years had been spent in the force, his true family and up until the day she arrived, he didn't think he would need anything else. She appeared before him, dressed as a prostitute, a prostitute that turned out to be a police officer, a police officer that turned out to be the woman of his dreams, dreams that rapidly disappeared the moment she left and returned in the form of nightmares. There would be times he would wake from a restless night, clinging to any chance that she was still with him, but every morning he dragged his feet along the deserted corridors of CID until he reached his office where he headed almost immediately to his filing cabinet where he kept his whiskey - the whiskey she bought him and his cigarettes. And so everyday he would stumble in, pour his poison and light his cigarettes, hoping for a better day than the last. She said she had loved him once. Who was to say that she couldn't love him again? That was the question that he would torture himself with, asking it over and over again, knowing that he would never be able to answer it. Only one person could truly answer that question but he couldn't ask her, it was too late for that. Gene would never be able to hear the words he longed for because she was gone and the worst part was, she was never coming back.

He kept reliving that moment, the minute that she turned away from him and stepped out of his life, for good. A small part of him always wondered why he didn't chase after her, fight for the only thing worth fighting for, but a bigger part of him knew exactly why. She never truly belonged with him, never really understood what it was like to be him, despite her being able to read him like a book. She could look at him as if reading the pages of his life, skipping past the parts she didn't like. In many ways, that is exactly what Gene Hunt is; a great book waiting to be discovered but you never knew exactly how great it was unless you were prepared to read it, something only Alex had achieved. She had taken that battered book down off the shelf and swept away the cobwebs as she stared at the blurb with great interest and intrigue but the problem was, she was never able to grasp the story. The second problem was the missing parts of the story, the blank pages at the end. These pages needed to be filled with the great memories that they were going to make together with the people that he shared them with. Truth be told, those pages would remain blank because Gene Hunt was alone and had no one else to turn the pages to reveal the mystery within. They could have finished the book together and could have became a bestseller, but only if she'd let him.

This man sat in his office, waiting for the hour to come when he could put on his coat and walk out of those doors, but time seemed to stand still, stuck in limbo as awaited her return. Gene looked around the squad room to pass the time, watching his officers work, knowing each of them were worried about him, but each secretly knew that none of them were capable of filling the gap that DI Alex Drake had left. They could try and piece together the remaining parts of his broken heart but would never succeed because one piece would always be missing, and that piece belonged to Alex, forever.

Looking down at his desk, he realised he was due a new member of staff to start tomorrow to take over DC Lewis. Gene didn't know if he could handle a new member, not after losing Alex. The bloke seemed nice enough; eighteen years old, no kind of previous record and brought up in a working class family. He reminded Gene of himself when he was just starting, something Gene could cling to right now. Part of Gene needed a fresh start and would quite happily start again, afresh. After all, he had nothing to lose. _Why could nothing go right for me? Just this once!_ Was all Gene could keep thinking as he poured glass after glass of his whiskey until he was faced with an empty bottle. _Well that's just bloody great that is_, he said, knowing nobody could hear him. Standing up, he walked over to his filing cabinet, looking for another bottle, trying to ignore the little red velvet box that he planned giving to Alex along with the words he would have spoke, asking her that all important question. _If only_. It appeared that Gene had drunk his full supply of alcohol and slammed his cabinet shut, angry at himself for not having any more.

His watch told him it was nine o'clock and he could no longer put going home off so he shrugged on his coat, pocketing his hipflask and left his office. As he stood in the squad room, he caught sight of Alex's desk, still unable to believe she had left his life. On her desk was a photo of Gene holding Molly, both grinning. He picked it up, his thumb brushing over her face as his eyes pricked with tears. He fought back the tears in his eyes, blaming the alcohol for his emotions and sat at her desk. His team had asked to clear her desk and take her belongings to Luigi's to pick up, but Gene had refused. It proved a comfort, knowing that part of her still lived in the squad room. He looked through the drawers, noticing all the paperwork she had shoved away, all of which untouched. Smirking to himself, he got up and made to leave.

Upon standing up, he turned towards the exit and stood in the doorway was Alex Drake. For a moment, Gene thought he was dreaming, but then she opened her mouth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Hmm?" she said, marching over to him, cardboard box in hand.

"More importantly, Bolly, what the hell do _you_ think you are doing?" he said, raising his voice.

"_I_ am collecting my things. The things you were just rummaging through," she said, matching his tone.

"Was not! They are in my squad room, you have no right coming in here! You're not part of the team anymore, Drake. You wanted that, and once again you got your way. But if you realised you made a mistake and want to come back, its too late, I don't want you on my team. Not now," he said, secretly hoping she would contest.

"Don't need to worry about that, Gene. I have no desire whatsoever to come back on your little team," she said, making it perfectly clear as she slammed the box down on the table, narrowly missing Gene's fingers.

"Here, allow me," he said, pulling the drawers from her desk and throwing the contents into the box.

"Gene! Leave them alone! I'm warning you," she said, staring at him. Gene took absolutely no notice and walked away, box in hand, throwing it into the corridor. Standing in the main corridor, a figure walked through the double doors and was heading towards him.

"Who the 'ell are you?" Gene said, venting his anger out on to the young man. Before the boy got to answer, Alex appeared behind Gene to see what all the fuss was about.

Looking on at the boy, Gene caught sight of the look Alex was giving him. She stood, rooted to the spot, her eyes fixated on him as the boy stood there, looking at them both, unsure on whether to approach them or back away. Agreeing with the former, he walked towards them and held out his hand.

"Err, hi. My name's R-"

"Robert," Alex said, almost breathless. Gene looked from Alex to Robert and back again, wondering if he had missed something. All of a sudden, Alex Drake ran towards the young man, encircling him in her arms. Robert didn't know what to do, he just stood there, letting the woman hug him. Finally letting go of him, she mouthed the word sorry, unable to actually speak.

"Well, that's the best welcome I could have asked for," he said, looking from Alex to Gene. "You must be DCI Gene Hunt," he said, extending his arm once more.

"That I am. And you are?" He said, angry at the effect a complete stranger seemed to have on Alex.

"Oh, sorry. I'm you're replacement for DC Lewis. My name is Robert Drake."

* * *

**Hehehehe...**


End file.
